M2PP Alliance

CATEGORY 4: Projects with a value greater than $100 million

PROJECT: Mackays to Peka Peka Expressway. CONTRACTOR: M2PP Alliance

Embracing a community

Mackays to Peka Peka (M2PP) is the first of section of the Wellington Northern Corridor projects to be completed and is a new four-lane expressway taking State Highway 1 traffic along the Kapiti Coast.

The new 18-kilometre route features local connections at interchanges along the expressway route. It separates local and highway traffic and is already delivering safer and shorter trips to and through the Kapiti Coast – with local and national economic and social benefits.

Valued at $630 million, the project was built by the M2PP Alliance made up of the NZ Transport Agency; Beca Planning & Engineering; Fletcher Infrastructure and Higgins Contractors (Higgins becoming a business unit of Fletcher Construction in August 2016); and supported by principal subcontractors Goodman Contractors, Incite and Boffa Miskell.

It has been the first project of its kind to work so early and directly with a local body – the Kapiti Coast District Council, which is actively involved as part of the Alliance model arrangement and has representation at the highest level of its governance structure.

Despite many site and community challenges, the main alignment was completed four months early, with the road opening to traffic on February 24 2017, following a series of official and community opening events.

Key features of the project are: Two traffic lanes in each direction separated by a median safety barrier; 18 new bridges including a new crossing over the Waikanae River; local connections with two full and two partial interchanges; safety improvements on many local roads in the vicinity of the expressway; and substantial environmental protection and enhancement including 140 hectares of new planting and landscaping, creation of 9.5 hectares of new and restored wetland and 1.4 million locally eco-sourced plants.

The M2PP Alliance faced significant challenges – environmental and the community through which the route traverses. Construction only started in 2013 after several years of community consultation and objections, taken as far as the High Court.

That community is now largely supportive and has welcomed the new road. l